Originally this house was on the site of the Chapel Hill library. They were going to demolish this house. The owners said, "No, you're not. We're going to buy this house." They bought this acreage, and they moved it here. You can sort of feel it in the house. There are some places you step and you think, "Oh, they must have split it here." And that I love about it, too.

The owners calls it a Cape Cod. I love the style. It's just very homey. It's the right size for me -- with and without the kids here. I've never liked a traditional house. It's always been an issue for me. I grew up in the suburbs -- a product of those little boxes, as Pete Seeger would say. They don't express to me comfort and warmth -- certainly not a sense of style. I think this house has a sense of style that is unique. It's very embracing. It never feels lonely and desperate. It always feels like it's giving you a hug.

My kids love it. They love being here. We've had adjustments with some apartments -- "Oh, god! We're going to live here?" We had a home in Cobblestone, and it never felt right. It never felt like a fit.

Why I Chose My Home

McDougle School was kind of the anchor because we [he and former wife] didn't want that disruption in our kids' lives. To put them in a new home, new school, that would be too much. The house is so close to where Elisabeth is living. You sort of do the math. Here's the scenario: "Amelia, you've got to do your homework. Amelia, you've got to do your homework."

It's Sunday night: "Oh, yeah. It's at Mom's house."

In dual homes, there's always that. "How did all the socks get at your house? Can I have some back?" It just makes it that much easier if you're close.

The Vickerys own the house. They were institutions in Chapel Hill for many years. He was a professor at the university. She was the founder of one of the dance studios here -- one of the ballet programs for youth in town. They're retired now and live in Connecticut. A lot of my fondness for the house came from meeting them -- the care and the love they so obviously demonstrated in the place. I think there was a mutual respect there. They knew I would respect their house, and seeing that level of care makes you care.

Advantages

It's so easy to clean because it's small. It's manageable. Most people have 2,000 [square feet]. Easily, people have 2,400/4,000. I don't know how people do it. I certainly didn't want to spend all my time vacuuming, cleaning. That's doubly important when I have the kids. I don't want to be cleaning. I want to have fun with them.

In the old house, there was sort of the pressure of keeping up with what the neighbors were doing. But here I don't have that pressure.

The yard has great sun exposure. It's got lots of great light on the east side, but it's got shaded areas, too. The kids play a lot in the back yard. I notice my kids play outside much more here than any other home I've been in. The yard in the Cobblestone house wasn't even big enough for them to do anything. They always complained about that - "It's not even big enough to kick a ball."

This yard here has so many nooks and crannies, and it has the stone wall, which is great for hiding things. The girls will take their dolls outside, and there are all kinds of little adventures going on out there.

The house is right on Hillsborough [Road]. I like watching what's going on. A Saturday will be pretty activity full. You'll see all the cyclists and the runners. I like seeing the activity.

Disadvantages

The deer, but that's all of us.

Because it's old, it's a little drafty. There is some single-pane glass, so it's not as fuel-efficient as it could be. But I like it cold. I grew up "if you're cold, put on a sweater." My heating costs are probably a little higher, but I'm willing to pay that for an older home. I insulated the door because I could see the gap. [Laughs]

My Neighborhood

I love Carrboro. I love jogging in the morning and seeing the mayor walk down the street. That's unique and special. I love Fitch Lumber. I've told the owners it''s a carbon copy of the one my grandfather owned in Canada. And who doesn't like the Weave -- warts and all? I love Weaver Street.

I have nice neighbors. There are only really three of us. We all kind of share a road. [A house is beside John's, and another one is behind it.] This guy behind me, we hit it off immediately because he works for the city of Raleigh and is in local government and he's from Canada.

Making My House a Home

I think there was the initial question of "Would the kids be comfortable?" I wanted to make sure the kids had their spaces. There was some debate about whether the kids should share a room. I thought about making the office a room. The two youngest seem to really enjoy sharing a room. The oldest has her own room.

Their rooms in the old house were very, very unique. I know that's why it sold so fast in a bad market. Elisabeth designed them -- clouds on the walls -- very, very special. I knew I couldn't do that because I don't have that skill. But I wanted to transfer some of that here. I brought the blinds over for Amelia''s room. And I put a pegboard up because she likes to do art. When Amelia saw her room, she loved it.

If it could be better, it probably would have a bigger music room. I'm a drummer. It's therapeutic. At first, I thought, "What are the neighbors going to think?" But my neighbor's boyfriend is a musician, so I said, "That's it. I can play as loud as I want." [Laughs.]

I think you need to feel comfortable and do those things that are special to you in your home.

Do you have a special story about where you live? Contact Catherine Wright at catherine.wright@gmail.com.